


Slightly Fractured

by Constance



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-01
Updated: 2011-02-01
Packaged: 2017-10-15 06:57:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/158239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Constance/pseuds/Constance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate ending to Smashed</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slightly Fractured

"Oh the pain, the pain... Is gone." Spike curled his lip up, gave her his best evil grin and delivered the punch line. "Looks like I'm not as toothless as you thought, sweetheart."

He couldn't keep the anticipation at bay as he waited for her return strike. Been years now since he'd had the chance of a real fight and he intended to savour every second. But the Slayer was a little slow to come out and play, he hit her again just to wake her up a bit, she barely acknowledged the blow.

"You got your chip out," said Buffy flatly.

She was prepared for this, right? Buffy tried to tell herself as her mind reeled. Two years of never forgetting what he was, and never forgetting one day he'd be the enemy again, all so that when this happened she could stake him. So why was she staring dumbly at him as he punched her in the face for the third time?

Cause she didn't want to win this fight.

Didn't want to fight.

Buffy wanted to lay down and die as she had every night since her return. Her life was in a sorry state indeed when losing Spike might be the straw that broke the proverbial camel. But she couldn't let him have his one good day when he could go on to take out half the town. When he had invites to all her friends' homes.

"That's the kicker," Spike was saying. "I haven't done a damn thing."

Buffy roused herself to return his punch, shutting down and letting the Slayer take over.

"Don't you get it?" he taunted. "Don't you see?"

Oh Buffy saw alright. An endless, weary existence where she'd staked the one person she'd been able to talk to and plodded on until something took her out in its turn. But the stake stayed in her waistband as they exchanged blows.

"It's not me, it's you. Only you."

Buffy stared. Forgot to block and then reeled into the chainlink fence as his fist connected with her nose. Spike looked a little surprised himself and didn't follow up his advantage as she wiped blood from her lip and turned to face him, not allowing herself to hope.

"It's a trick. You've done something to the chip."

Spike shook his head, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet as he squared up for another round.

"No trick. Turns out you're not as human as you used to be."

She took a swing at him, because he seemed to expect it. The Slayer processed this information with cool analytical detachment and came to one relieved conclusion.

"Your chip still works?"

Her voice was tiny, and hopeful. Spike pulled his next punch, a little thrown off his game. Tried to refocus on the part where he got to fight her again. "Not on you, my lovely, you came back _wrong_."

This wasn't going to plan at all. Spike hadn't meant to lose his temper, never did, but in truth he'd been itching for confrontation and now his words weren't having the desired effect. Fury or tears, either would suit his purpose tonight, instead she took a few deep breaths to focus herself and asked again, more calmly. "But on anyone else? The chip still works? You're not feeding?"

Spike nodded, eyes narrowed, and Buffy sagged against the fence in relief. "Think you're asking the wrong questions, Buffy."

He put a nasty, questioning emphasis on her name, but the Slayer didn't bite.

"The question is, do I have to kill you?" She took a step forward and poked him in the chest. "Am I going to have to put a stake in your heart to make sure all my friends aren't dead tomorrow? That's the question I'm worried about. Are you my enemy now?"

Bollocks! He'd screwed it up. Should have written her a bloody letter when she'd not shown at the graveyard, not gone looking for her in high dudgeon, determined to have his confrontation. Now instead of weeping in his manly yet sensitive arms she was closing herself off, from him as she'd already done to her friends. He sighed and threw his hands up in surrender.

"Still whipped, Love. Your precious little humans are safe from me. We've got more in common than you thought, so less of the enemy, hey?"

Cause what had she ever done but compare him to Angelus? Of course the first thing he'd do would be turn on her. But the incident earlier, one of her precious humans shrieking with fear as he'd moved in for the kill, was sitting very uncomfortably now and he bit back further defence.

Buffy smiled bitterly. "So you think I'm like you now?" She shrugged, as if it couldn't matter less. "Makes a lot of sense."

The words were cold and empty, making Spike shiver. Okay, really, really bad plan.

He'd lost his chance at being supportive when he'd flung his newfound knowledge at her with barbed taunts, but now he'd inflicted the wounds he wished it all back. The kiss and run saga of the last week had messed with his head, focused all his thoughts on having her, wanting her, how he could get her, and he'd almost forgotten the poor little lost girl inside.

He'd seen a flicker of fear when she'd thought he had the chip out and he'd thought she was afraid of dying at his hand, an idea that at once repulsed and excited him. Now he realised that fear was for him, but it was hard to be warmed by that knowledge as he stared at her swollen nose and empty expression.

"So now we're both evil. Who do you think will win the fight?"

"No," said Spike placatingly. "No more fighting, that's not what I want."

"Oh? Seems pretty much all you want is to bag your third Slayer," Buffy hissed venomously.

"I just want you."

"You want me?" She pulled her blouse open, exposing neck and cleavage with one sharp tug. "Take me."

Of their own volition Spike's feet moved him nearer to her. Buffy's eyes met his, filled with aggressive challenge. Her hand went to her neck, finger nails digging into the delicate skin until the scent of warm blood wafted towards the hypnotised vampire. She took a step forward, till her body was flush against his, and Spike bent his neck so his lips were almost touching the bright red droplets.

"Let's face it," she sneered, "You were never going to be the long haul guy. So put us both out of our misery. Bite. Me."

And Spike, who'd been missing the big picture all night, finally caught up. Suddenly her closeness was way too much and he could smell her desperation, every demon instinct screaming to bite her.

"You bitch!" He threw her back into the fence, furious and scared. She'd damn near driven him out of his mind with lust, blood and sex, and he didn't know if understanding was enough to control himself. He took a few steps back, just in case.

"You think I'll end it for you? Stupid cow, I'm in love with you."

"So? You always say that like it's a good thing. Like love isn't as selfish and brutal and destructive as anything else."

Spike flinched. "Love's selfish," he agreed. "You think I could let you go? If I ever kill you, you'll be dead like me. Think on that."

The Slayer made a scoffing noise. "You wouldn't turn me. If I was evil I might actually like you, nowhere near masochistic enough for you."

"I'd see you evil before I saw you dead. I won't see you dead Love, not again."

"So what was your plan? See how much I can take before I actually go mad? Hoping that one day I'll be depressed enough to sleep with you?"

"No-"

"I know. You saw I was unhappy and you thought you'd help with that, because that's how vampires love."

"No! It was just... There wasn't a plan," he sighed eventually. "Just me, being an idiot."

"Maybe it's time you started doing that in some place that isn't Sunnydale." said the Slayer coldly. She turned her back on him and walked out of the alley, had only gone a few steps when he was back on her heel.

"Go away," she bit out, not slowing down.

"Think I'll be walking you home tonight," he returned softly. "You go offering yourself to any more vampires and they might just take a bite."

"I wasn't... Just leave, okay?"

"No."

The Slayer thought about punching him, decided she'd be rid of him quicker if she just got home, where at least she could slam the door in his face. Unusually Spike stayed silent as he fell into step beside her, they were nearly at the end of Revello Drive before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry."

"I'll deal."

"It's a stupid chip. Doesn't mean you're not the same girl."

Buffy ignored him, only minutes away from her vampire free house and counting the seconds.

"You could always let me cheer you up."

Trying so hard to keep quiet, but Buffy couldn't let that one go. "Because all my problems would just disappear if only I would have sex with you."

"Don't know that I'm _that_ good, but it'd be fun."

"No."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I'm never going to feel about you the way you want me to."

"I know that." The vampire shrugged, risked a sly smile in her direction. "But I'm very pretty."

"You're impossible."

"Yeah. But seriously, I have a new evil scheme, wanna hear it?"

The house was in sight now, if possible Buffy quickened her pace. "Gosh, look at the time."

"I'm going to wait until you're really old and wrinkly and not getting any. Reckon a young, firm corpse won't seem such an unattractive proposition."

Buffy grinned, couldn't help it, maybe it was the relief of finally being home. "Goodnight Spike."

"Made you smile," he called after her as she walked up the front steps. "Just think what I could do if I got you naked."


End file.
